Faunalytics’ Fundamentals are a collection of topic overviews and resources that provide the latest and best data for a variety of important animal issues and topics.
See below for Issue Fundamentals that are currently available. Please note: The PDF documents following the fundamentals are currently branded as HRC, our old name (these documents were then called “primers”). We look forward to updating these in the future.
Issue Fundamentals
- Farmed Animals: The first in our series of Fundamentals that can be viewed entirely on our website, our focus on Farmed Animals contains information about animal ethology, consumer opinions, scale of the industry, environmental impacts, and more.
- Animals Used in Experiments: The second in our series of Fundamentals, with a series of infographics describing the animals most commonly used in research and dissection, the species excluded from the Animal Welfare Act, attitudes, breeding and transport, and research alternatives.
- Companion Animals: The third in our series of Fundamentals, this resource looks at the broad variety of issues facing companion animals in the U.S. and internationally, with a special focus on cats and dogs.
- Wildlife: Our fourth installment looks at the wide world of wildlife, and focuses on the issues where humans have the most negative — and potential for positive — impact. If you want to know more about endangered species, the exotic animal trade, or how zoos affect animals, look no further!
- Zoonoses: The fifth edition of our series takes a close look at the issue of diseases passed between animals and humans. This resource examines COVID-19, intensive agriculture, and much more!
Social Science Fundamentals
- Attitude Change: What are attitudes? Why and how do they vary for different people and circumstances? What factors strengthen or weaken different attitudes? Here we offer advocates an introduction to understanding attitude change based on findings from social psychological research.
- Behavior Change: Why do people start and how do they maintain new behaviors? Why do some of them lapse from their intended behavior? Here we offer advocates an introduction to understanding behavior change based on findings from social psychological research.
- Attitude-Behavior Consistency: We all know that people’s attitudes about animals are inconsistent with their behavior. But why is that the case and what is the role of ambivalence? Here we offer advocates an introduction to understanding the attitude-behavior relationship based on findings from social psychological research.
Fundamentals Archive
- Attitudes Toward Fur (PDF, 554k): Summarizes recent research findings regarding attitudes toward the use of animal fur for clothing and other purposes. Studies address the size of the fur industry and public attitudes toward fur in the U.S. and other countries.
- Trapping in the United States (PDF, 460k): Summarizes the available research about trapping animals, primarily for fur or wildlife “management” purposes. Covers the number of trappers, attitudes toward trapping, types of traps used, and the number of animals killed.
- Hunting in the United States (PDF, 79k): Summarizes recent research on public attitudes toward the hunting and killing of animals for sport, subsistence, or other reasons, including wildlife “management.”
- How Many Vegetarians Are There? (PDF, 379k) Summarizes the latest quantitative research relating to the size of the vegetarian and vegan (veg*n) populations in the United States. Not yet updated with our recent study of lapsed and current vegetarians/vegans.
- Why and Why Not Vegetarian? (PDF, 531k) Summarizes the latest quantitative and qualitative research relating to motivations for and barriers against adopting a vegetarian diet.
